InfoSpace rolls out Moviso

Selling ringtones, graphics and games to mobile phone users is a big business, with dozens of companies trying to grab a piece of the action. In the Seattle area alone, Blue Frog Mobile, Mixxer and GoGoMo are attacking the market.

Now, Bellevue-based InfoSpace — which has traditionally packaged mobile content for wireless carriers such as Cingular and T-Mobile — is entering the fray with a new direct to consumer site called Moviso.

Won’t that upset InfoSpace’s carrier partners?

Jon Nolz, senior director of marketing at Moviso, doesn’t think so.

“The carriers are super supportive of this,” said Nolz. “One, it gives them an opportunity to further distribute their products…. It is also an information or intelligence gathering tool. We are able to report back to them what mobile consumers are wanting on their phone.”

InfoSpace will share a portion of the sales from Moviso with the carrier partners, though Nolz declined to break out the exact percentage.

As to the competition, Nolz said that InfoSpace has an advantage because of its 10 years of experience in the industry. He also said that Moviso will offer the ability to preview ringtones and create customized graphics for phones.

“It is a competitive space,” said Nolz. “But … we have been in the business and we have been doing this for a long time. And we have a ton of money in our pockets to support this. Those guys are just startups. There are a lot of people going at this space, but I think with our history and our experience within the space, we are positioned really well to be successful in the future.”

“They already have a lot of the content, so it is not a huge risk to them,” she said.

She added that only about 20 percent of consumers have purchased mobile content. So in her view, there is room for InfoSpace to carve out some territory in the direct to consumer mobile content business.

“Right now, generating any demand is good demand,” she said. “The more places consumers see it and the more they are exposed to it, that’s a good thing.”

InfoSpace, which reported mobile revenue of $41 million in the first quarter, had $395 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of March.

Right now, the service works for Cingular, T-Mobile and Sprint Nextel customers. In the near future, support will be added for Verizon, Nolz said. InfoSpace acquired Moviso in 2003.

InfoSpace rolls out Moviso

Selling ringtones, graphics and games to mobile phone users is a big business, with dozens of companies trying to grab a piece of the action. In the Seattle area alone, Blue Frog Mobile, Mixxer and GoGoMo are attacking the market.

Now, Bellevue-based InfoSpace — which has traditionally packaged mobile content for wireless carriers such as Cingular and T-Mobile — is entering the fray with a new direct to consumer site called Moviso.

Won’t that upset InfoSpace’s carrier partners?

Jon Nolz, senior director of marketing at Moviso, doesn’t think so.

“The carriers are super supportive of this,” said Nolz. “One, it gives them an opportunity to further distribute their products…. It is also an information or intelligence gathering tool. We are able to report back to them what mobile consumers are wanting on their phone.”

InfoSpace will share a portion of the sales from Moviso with the carrier partners, though Nolz declined to break out the exact percentage.

As to the competition, Nolz said that InfoSpace has an advantage because of its 10 years of experience in the industry. He also said that Moviso will offer the ability to preview ringtones and create customized graphics for phones.

“It is a competitive space,” said Nolz. “But … we have been in the business and we have been doing this for a long time. And we have a ton of money in our pockets to support this. Those guys are just startups. There are a lot of people going at this space, but I think with our history and our experience within the space, we are positioned really well to be successful in the future.”

“They already have a lot of the content, so it is not a huge risk to them,” she said.

She added that only about 20 percent of consumers have purchased mobile content. So in her view, there is room for InfoSpace to carve out some territory in the direct to consumer mobile content business.

“Right now, generating any demand is good demand,” she said. “The more places consumers see it and the more they are exposed to it, that’s a good thing.”

InfoSpace, which reported mobile revenue of $41 million in the first quarter, had $395 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of March.

Right now, the service works for Cingular, T-Mobile and Sprint Nextel customers. In the near future, support will be added for Verizon, Nolz said. InfoSpace acquired Moviso in 2003.